Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.

I went to (unfortunately) a funeral today in Spring Hill. I had not been there for quite some time...at least 10-12 years. During the early 90s, I used to go have dinner with my then in-laws a couple times a week (I lived in Pasco at the time). I would also regularly be in the area attending family functions or school events for my younger sister-in-law. So I spent a lot of time there, in other words.

While I was there today I noticed that the place looked a lot different than I remembered it. I saw quite a few homes in states of disrepair...half painted or with unfinished improvement projects (and it was obvious), junk/junk cars in the yard, overgrown lawns etc. Quite a few vacant properties and storefronts too, but that's not surprising since those are everywhere. I don't ever recall seeing stuff like that in Spring Hill before - before I lived in FL I visited many times and I always joked that it looked like Pleasantville or something with everyone's perfect lawns and pastel colored houses. So it was a little disturbing to see that somewhere I always considered a nice place was looking so shabby in quite a few spots.

I did see a lot more shopping areas than I remember - I don't necessarily like sprawl but I always thought that the place was a little "out there" and that it was insane to drive all the way to Pasco just to go to Target. So it's nice I guess that the folks who live there to have shopping more accessible.

I also noticed that there are a ton of "Internet Sweepstakes" places...no idea what those are but they sure looked busy! What is up with that? (Maybe we have them in Tampa too but I've never seen one before today)

So is it just that some of the older population has died off and renters who don't care as much about home maintenance have moved in? Just a general aging of the place? Economy? A combination of all of these things?

As a point of reference, I drove in from Land O'Lakes/US 41 up SR 52 and over to Spring Hill via Shady Hills. (Yes...I know there are other, faster ways to go I took this route for a specific reason) I then drove down Mariner it's full length to Cortez, then over to Commercial Way and back over to Mariner via Spring Hill Drive.

Last edited by tamparesident26; 03-10-2012 at 09:45 PM..
Reason: typo!

The ghetto and white trash cesspool of West Pasco is expanding North, that's what happened.

Those "sweepstakes" places are illegal gambling parlors with slot machines. Some counties have outlawed them, including Hillsborough County. There is some loophole in state law they are currently exploiting.

Broke ass people love to gamble. It doesnt surprise me that business is booming in Spring Hill...

That area has really changed over the last few years. Some people call that progress but you'd never know by driving through there. The route you took was probablly one of the better ones. There does seem to be a lot of those Sweepstakes places popping up and they seem to be busy most of the time.

A co-worker had an immaculate house, but due the health problems and her husband's job loss, they are facing foreclosure. She's no longer keeping the yard nice...Mentally, it is not her house.. she's going to be handing it over to the bank. Why bother with landscaping?

Other houses are further in the process.. the family has moved out. The yard isn't cut, the weeds are rampant, the house is obviously empty. Everyone in the neighborhood knows which houses are vacant.

Some houses aren't in foreclosure... residents are holding onto the house, current with payments, but they don't have the cash ... due to escalating adjustable mortgages, or other rising costs... to keep the house the way it was.

Many houses have multiple families living in them.. Across the street, I've got three generations, six people in a three bedroom house. It's not the pristine well groomed place it was....

Maybe you noticed the signs on street corners....The general format is "3/2/2 with pool $49,000" or "2/1 $29,000" Just crazy.. advertising on the corner.. but if it works...

Yep, Spring Hill is very different than it was... I find the sweepstakes places creepy too. And based on newspaper articles, the previous poster is correct. We'll see how long they are here.

About those internet places, there's one in Oldsmar , corner of Racetrack and Hillsborough. That place is always full! I have never been in one , so I don't know what goes on there, except that I have heard it's betting games that you play with a phone card that you buy there. That is the loophole they have found to go around the law.

The OP is correct. Spring Hill has changed a lot in the past 10 years. Basically it is growth and anytime there is growth demographics and economic shifts take place. I agree with Clairegoad on the points raised as to the reasons why it is what it is. Just like every other town in America, Spring Hill has taken a hit due to the economy. Housing prices dropped drastically.

As far as the sweepstakes places, the customers of the places consistently state they like them
and that is why they are busy. Its a social event for most of them, its a way to pass the time
and they could win a few bucks while there. Nobody is dragging people off the street to go into
the places where basically games of chance are played on line and the "house" has the ability to
pay the winners all in ways that circumvent the law. I've never been to one either, but if
people want entertainment so be it.

I also agree with NYER232. Spring Hill compares nicely to Long Island NY. That is why it has always been a draw to the NY crowd. The houses aren't as tall, but the lots are larger. More
space between houses. Ex-New Yorker's have everything they could want in Spring Hill.

Including real NY style pizza made by NYers
As for SpringHill? lotsa people and houses there, most take care of their property, a few are what i call the junksters,much crap in there driveways,no lawn maintenance done, no house maintenance done fortunately most of SpringHill is very nice..

Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.